Do you ever have one of those “I wish I’d done it first” moments? I absolutely love “bowl” food. In fact, I have bowls in all shapes and sizes in our cupboards and we use them for the majority of our meals. I’d thought quite a bit about doing a book on bowl food, but Jackie beat me to it with Vegan Bowl Attack. Nevertheless, I’m definitely not bitter. I’m actually inspired by all of the creativity she put into every page of this appealing collection.

The introduction is very, very brief. Jackie knows we’re excited about the food and doesn’t mess around. In fact, she grabbed my attention just a few pages in with the very first recipe for Chai Waffle Stick Dippers. They’re indulgent, with hints of nutrition and an alluring maple butter dip. The recipe looks simple, and uses everyday ingredients that you would find in most dairy-free or dairy-low kitchens. It seems to set the tone for the food to come.

Most of the recipes have a healthy slant, but Jackie doesn’t shy away from all-purpose flour or sugar when it suits the recipe best. She seems to take a plant-based, everything-in-moderation approach. I know many of you worry about “strange” ingredients in vegan cookbooks. You may need to take a trip to the natural food store for some of the items, and Jackie does use some store-bought dairy alternatives (like cheeses and buttery spreads), but sparingly. Overall, I’d say they are everyday ingredients for most vegan consumers, with a little adventure in flavors and foods for those who are new to plant-based or just dip their toes in on occasion.

As for special diets, she does use gluten, soy and nuts throughout. However, the cookbook includes many specifically gluten-free recipes and numerous that are naturally soy-free, nut-free or easy to adapt. In other words, there is something for everyone.

The recipe chapters in Vegan Bowl Attack include Bountiful Breakfast Bowls, Lil’ Snack Bowls, Satisfying Soup and Salad Bowls, Enticing Entrée Bowls, and Damn Good Dessert Bowls. The following is a sampling of the titles, which includes the recipes I’m most excited about:

Peanut Butter Pretzel Oatmeal

Loaded Potato Breakfast Bowl

Mini-Cinni Rolls with Cream Cheese Drizzle

Zebra Crepe Bowl

White Bean Beer Fondue

Plantain Tots Con Mojo

Tikka Cauliflower Chunks

Walnut Chorizo Taco Salad

Corn Salad with Basil Pesto Aioli

Mean Green Ramen

Sweet Potato Eggplant Curry

Spicy Sushi Bowl

Roasted Root Vegetables with Smoky Tahini Sauce

Mole Bowl-E

Raw Apple Crisp

Snappy Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting Trifle

Amaretto Cherry Ice Cream (yes, this is the recipe below!)

And yes, there are many enticing but not overwhelming photographs throughout Vegan Bowl Attack. The hardback book is full color, and although not every recipe has a picture, most do.

Place all of the boozy cherry sauce ingredients in a small pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, uncovered. Adjust the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the cherries to be soft and breaking apart a bit. The sauce should coat a spoon once it has cooled slightly.

Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and refrigerate.

To make the ice cream base:

Drain and rinse the cashews.

Place the soy milk and cashews in a high-speed blender and purée until completely smooth.

Add the rest of the ice cream base ingredients to the mixture and purée until smooth; you will see specks of cherry skins, which is fine.

To assemble:

Pour the ice cream base into an ice cream maker and churn for 25 minutes or until thick but not frozen solid.

When the ice cream base is ready, take the cherry sauce out of the refrigerator. Begin filling the loaf pan, alternating layers of the base and the cherry sauce and making 4 layers of the base and 3 thinner layers of sauce. Drag a butter knife through the mixtures to create swirls.

Place the ice cream in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours.

When you are ready to serve, take the ice cream out and let soften for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping, if necessary.

Love this book! This is definitely on the top of my “to try” list. Because I normally just use coconut milk, I’m really excited to try it with cashews which I’m sure makes it extra creamy. Your version looks amazing 🙂